Binary Sunrise
by EliKenobi
Summary: Ben felt the Force bond open and felt Rey whisper, "save me. Save us. Kill me if you must." Ben leapt from his borrowed TIE fighter and ran harder than he had in his life. He could feel Rey's presence as the bond opened and saw her, so far away. She looked over her shoulder at him, then turned, struck down the Emperor, and ascended the throne of the Sith.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

* * *

It was the worst landing Ben had made since learning how to pilot. The TIE fighter he had borrowed from the wreck of the Death Star bounced and crunched. It wasn't made for being dropped into the ground, but Ben didn't have time for a graceful landing. He felt the Force bond open, just a bit, and heard, or rather felt, Rey whisper, "save me. Save us. Kill me if you must." Ben's feet pounded the stone floor as he leapt from the TIE fighter and ran harder than he had in his life. He could feel Rey's presence as the bond opened fully and allowed him to see her, still so far away. His feet stopped at the sight of her and he gulped air. "Rey!" he shouted. "Rey! NO!"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "They don't have time," she said softly, and though, even through their bond, she was far away, he heard her voice as close to him as if she had whispered in his ear. Palpatine's words echoed through their connection: "make the sacrifice." Then Rey turned, and with a single blow from Luke's blue lightsaber, struck down the Emperor. Their contact broke, and Ben was left standing in an empty cavern on Exegol. He felt as though part of him he always taken for granted had suddenly calved off when he most needed it, and he had no idea what…or _who_ waited for him.

Tentatively, he reached out with the Force. He realized that Rey had always been there with him, even long before they had met, he had felt her existence, and now it was gone. Ben had never felt more alone. He nearly gasped with relief when he found her, but she felt wrong, her energy more distant, and drenched in pain.

He ran through the cavern and burst into the arena he had seen moments before. Only now, it was empty. One figure remained: Rey, rising from the dark throne in time to reach out and pull the entire fleet of Star Destroyers into the ground with the Force of a thousand generations of Sith. Explosions bloomed in the opening above the throne room and Ben was forced to his knees by the shaking of the earth. A chunk of the ceiling cracked off and fell toward him. He caught it with the Force and just barely managed to hold it up as the cavern roof gave way and piled above him and around him. He shuddered with the effort.

As the thunder of burning Star Destroyers died down and the floor and walls settled into place once more, Ben heard the sound of footsteps pacing closer. Sweat rolled down his face as he tried to hold the tons of rock above him. He didn't have the strength to clear it, but there was nowhere to set down the one he held. He realized Rey's power had often bolstered his own, but now, that was gone.

The footsteps stopped and Ben heard Rey's voice echo through the rubble. It was colder somehow, and piercing. "Kylo Ren, a game of hide and seek seems far below your dignity. Playing hard to get, are we now?"

And then the rocks blasted off of him and Ben's shoulders sagged with relief, but only for an instant because there she was.

"Rey!"

She sneered. "I am Empress to you, Ren."

Ben stood. He was at least a head taller than her but he didn't feel it. Those yellow eyes bored into him. He felt as though they could see his soul. He couldn't tell what he was more afraid to see in them: approval or hatred. He had never felt so thoroughly alone in his life. His father—dead. His mother—dead. His Jedi master—dead. His Supreme Leader—dead. His First Order—smashed into the earth of Exegol, scattered among the remains of the Final Order. And the woman he loved was staring into his soul with eyes that weren't her own.

Rey must have sensed his thoughts, because she asked softly, "and whose fault is that?"

"Mine," Ben said. He looked up at her. "My fault. All of it."

"That's right, Kylo Ren, you are despicable, irredeemable, and we are one and the same."

Ben swallowed. "Kylo Ren is dead. I killed him."

Rey leaned closer to Ben. Something about the way she looked at him, raising her chin to stare him down, made him feel small, like a broken, abandoned child once again. Her face was inches from his now, one hand against his chest, the other on his waist. "No," she hissed, her lips nearly brushing his. "Kylo Ren is alive."

She shoved his chest and he stumbled backwards with the power of her Force push. She was right. Kylo Ren was alive. Somewhere inside him, Kylo Ren would always be alive. But his mother's sacrifice couldn't be for nothing.

"You're right," Ben said, staring into her cold, inhuman eyes with as much confidence as he could muster. "Kylo Ren _is_ alive. No one's ever really gone. And that means Rey is alive too."

The Empress glowered at him.

"I'll come back for you."

Ben fled through the caves, back toward the stolen TIE fighter.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey all, welcome to Binary Sunrise! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

* * *

As Ben sped away from Exegol, he reached down to remove the heavy object digging into his side. His mother's lightsaber, clipped to his belt. He didn't remember picking it up or putting it there. In fact, he couldn't remember seeing it since he was a child. He must have grabbed it up while he was worrying about other things _back there_. Careful not to pierce the glass of the dusty TIE fighter, he ignited the saber. It glowed soft and blue, illuminating him and his little dark world inside the ship. He hadn't even drawn it. Down on Exegol, he had hardly even thought of fighting. What a coward he was. _Kill me if you must_. He hadn't even tried.

_Make the sacrifice._ The Emperor had commanded, and the Empress had been born. The sacrifice, as if killing Palpatine would not only make him stronger. No, the sacrifice hadn't been Palpatine. The sacrifice had been Rey. It should have been him. Ben should have been the sacrifice. Ben had been sacrificed before, to make way for Kylo Ren. He had turned, and turned back. He didn't doubt in Rey's ability to turn him or kill him. But he knew he couldn't kill her.

He exhaled heavily and closed his eyes, slumping forward to bang his forehead against the TIE fighter's control panel. The ship spiraled off course and he let it. He had planned no destination anyway. Afterall, maybe it was better for him to just float off into empty space. Someone better would save Rey. Someone better _could_ save Rey. But they were gone. He was the only powerful Light-side Jedi left. Without him, there was no counterpart to the Empress's darkness. He sighed and adjusted his controls, not regaining his original course but at least moving in a consistent direction.

Ben's fingers found their way back to his mother's lightsaber. They smoothed over the metal ridges. "Mom," he whispered, "I wish you were still here."

The ugly graphics of the old TIE's navigation system would have made Ben cringe, but he was too exhausted to give any feeling to the screen. The Endor system held the closest inhabitable worlds to him. He leaned back in his stiff seat and jumped into hyperspace.

* * *

Ben sat under the trees a few paces away from the TIE. A group of Ewoks had surrounded him when he disembarked but he had flashed the lightsaber at them and they had given him space. Now he was alone. He folded his legs and placed his hands on his knees, closing his eyes. It had been so long since Ben had used Jedi meditation techniques. He breathed deeply and tried to clear his mind. Compared to the Sith anger-concentrating meditations, it felt peaceful, relaxing. "Be with me," he murmured. "Be with me."

Ben felt a presence and opened his eyes. His uncle Luke, his mother Leia, both giving off that gentle blue glow. Ben felt a surge of anger and tried to let it out. He looked inside himself for forgiveness but he couldn't find it. Suppressing his anger would do. He looked at Luke. "Could you leave us?"

Luke looked down and nodded. "I—yeah. Sure. You did good, kid." He vanished, leaving Ben with Leia.

"Mother…"

"Ben." The corners of Leia's eyes crinkled up as she looked at him. There was pride in her gaze. She enfold him in her arms, cradling his head.

"Mom." Ben's voice squeaked like it hadn't since he was young. Tears ran down his cheeks and he bit his lip to keep from sobbing, burying his face in the fabric of his mother's shoulder. "Why did she do it?" he whispered. "If I had been a minute earlier…"

"Rey is strong. She will be alright. She will return to you."

"I need your help. I don't know what to do! I'm not a leader like you. I could never bring the galaxy hope."

Leia tucked her son's messy hair behind his ear. "Ben, you only need to do those things for _her_. There are others to take care of the rest of them. She was your light, now you are hers. You aren't alone."

"I am."

"The Resistance will help you if they know it's for Rey. Surround her with people who love her. Finn—he's co-general now—he will help you if you make your circumstances known. Rey loves him."

"She…what?" Ben felt his heart plummet into a pool of icy water near his stomach.

He thought he could make out a mischievous twinkle in his mother's eye but her expression remained serious. "They are like brother and sister. Believe me, if Finn runs off with anyone, it won't be Rey."

Ben didn't have the energy to wonder what that meant. He let it slip.

"The Resistance base is on Ajan Kloss. You'll find them."

The sky overhead was tinted pink. Ben stepped away from Leia, back toward the TIE fighter. "Thank you, Mom."

"Ben." She caught his arm. "Wait until morning."

Ben nodded. He hadn't really thought about his own exhaustion, just Rey and all he needed to do. It hurt him to know that she was still out there, alone, probably sitting by herself on the cold, stone throne of the Sith. But now he had a plan, albeit a hazy one. Now his legs nearly crumpled as he acknowledged his weariness. One of his ankles throbbed and it started to buckle as he shifted his weight toward it. He must have sprained it in the caverns on Exegol. The intense rush of adrenaline had finally worn off. There was a dull ache in his chest as if it threatened to crack and fall away in pieces. Broken ribs, from leaping across the chasm, part of him figured. Broken ribs or broken heart, does it matter, he wondered lethargically.

He limped back to the TIE and dug around behind the inner paneling for an emergency medical kit. The supplies were old and sparse but he patched himself up the best he could, cleaning and taping shut the worst of his cuts. There was a flattened bed pallet behind the side panel, and just enough room to stretch out his lanky frame on the floor of the TIE fighter.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you everyone who reviewed or otherwise showed interest in my story! I'm super excited about this project, glad y'all are enjoying it!


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

* * *

"General, the prisoner keeps asking for you."

Finn sighed and stood up. "Has he told us what happened to Rey yet?"

"No sir. But he says that's what he wants to talk with you about."

"Alright."

Finn opened the door to the makeshift cell. Inside was the man who had overshadowed so much of Finn's life. He sat looking at the dirt floor, his cuffed hands in his lap. The Resistance wasn't set up for taking prisoners, but he had made no effort to escape. "Ren," said Finn.

The man looked up. "I am not Kylo Ren. Please call me Ben. Or Solo. Or just 'you there.' Really anything other than that name."

"Okay," Finn said, "whatever. I just want to know where Rey is."

"That's what I needed to tell you, General Finn. She never left Exegol."

"She…" Finn's knees felt weak.

"She's alive, but…it's not that simple."

"That's all I need to know." Finn straightened his back and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ben yelled.

Finn didn't care. He was going to get Rey.

Ben thrust his arms out and Force pulled Finn back toward him. Finn struggled but he could hardly move. He could feel Ben trying to force his way into his head. Finn pushed back, trying to drive out the foreign mind. And then his vision went dark except there was Rey, looking over her shoulder at him. Then she turned back toward the deformed but unmistakable figure of Emperor Palpatine. Rey drew her lightsaber and slashed through him, his body swirling towards her in a dark steam before she had even finished her stroke. She vanished, but then he could see her a bit farther away, rising from a looming stone throne. And then she was so close that Finn could see the flat yellow and red rings of her eyes. She pushed his chest and he fell back into himself, sprawled on the dirt floor in Ben's cell.

Finn scrambled to his feet to block the swinging open door but Ben was crouched on the floor, breathing hard.

"She turned?" Finn gasped.

Ben nodded. "By necessity, not choice."

"Necessity?"

"She felt that killing the Emperor and taking his place was the only way to save the Resistance. If I had only gotten there sooner…"

"This is bad." Finn began to pace just inside the cell door. "This is real bad."

"I need your help," said Ben. "_Rey_ needs your help. We have to get her back."

Finn spun around the face Ben. "There is no 'we' in this, Solo. I'm going to Exegol and _I'm _bringing her back with me."

"General," said Ben's gravely voice. "You don't know what she is capable of. She isn't herself. She is ruthless."

Finn's eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not making all of this up?"

"I showed you what I saw, I can show you again." Ben's eyes were pleading.

"General, if I may vouch for him."

Finn's heart hammered in his chest as he turned toward the source of the soft voice. "Leia?"

The woman's smile glowed faintly blue. "Finn. Let's walk."

Finn grabbed a couple of Resistance fighters to guard the cell and started down a jungle path with Leia.

"Everything he tells you is true," she said. "And I wouldn't advise either of you to go to Exegol alone. You need to help each other."

"With all due respect, General, he's your son. Don't you think you could be, you know, biased?"

"He truly is no longer Kylo Ren."

"What happened?" Finn asked.

"They were fighting." Finn remembered. He had seen the two disappear into the sea spray, hardly a day before. "I managed to reach him. Rey stabbed him at the same time—oh, if it's not too much to ask, _please_ get the boy a new shirt—anyway. He would have died but Rey healed him. I think in doing so she symbolically killed Kylo Ren and healed Ben Solo."

"For everyone's sake, I hope so," Finn said. "I think I have to talk to my co-general before I make any decisions."

"Yes," Leia said, her eyes giving him an odd soft look. "Go to Poe."

* * *

"General."

"General."

They were in Poe's room, the only isolated place they could find in the rebel camp.

"So you believe what the prisoner said?"

"Oh Poe, I don't want to. But Leia agreed with him, what more is there to say?"

"I don't know." Poe sighed and looked down. "If Rey is Dark side now, that's bad news."

"We can't just let her—"

"I know."

Finn looked up, catching Poe's eye. "I've never been so scared in my life."

"It's okay." Poe's voice hitched. "Me—me neither." He reached out for Finn and Finn held onto Poe as if his life depended on it. He worked his fingers into the fabric of Poe's jumpsuit.

"General," Poe said at last, and Finn was suddenly reminded that the co-generals of the Resistance probably weren't supposed to be _this_ close, "you're crushing me."

Finn unclenched his hands and pulled himself back.

"Rey's a survivor. She'll make it," Poe said.

"Yeah." Finn nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey." Poe looked at him, one hand on his shoulder. "Bring her home for me. For us. The Resistance." Then Poe leaned forward and pressed his lips against Finn's, and the burning fear flowing through Finn's veins broke and made way for other feelings: shock, joy, desire. They broke apart, and Finn realized he had forgotten to breathe. For the moment, he felt as if everything would be okay.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm really curious about how you all are receiving Ben. I definitely feel like I'm writing him as less angsty than a lot of other fics do. In a way I think what I'm trying to do with this is force Ben to find his humanity again for himself—put him in a position where he doesn't have a choice—rather than letting him sit back while Rey tries to turn him to the light.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four_**

* * *

The sky was darkening and the ambient light in Ben's holding cell was weak and blue when Finn entered. "We're leaving for Exegol tomorrow," Finn informed him.

"General," said Ben. "I don't think that's wise."

"I didn't ask your opinion, Solo." Ben hadn't moved from his spot on the floor, and Finn looked down at him from the doorway.

"I can't protect you in this state," Ben said, struggling to his feet to demonstrate the extent of the damage to his ankle.

"Fine, I'll get a medic on it. But what makes you think I need protecting?"

"General—if you had seen what I had—"

"What, that she's got yellow eyes now? That she shoved you? I've been shoved before. Rey is suffering as we wait."

Ben closed his eyes and sank to the ground again. He knew Finn was right. _It should have been me, it should have been me._ "You don't know everything."

It should have been Rey's choice—she should have been the one to decide whether to tell her friends. Would the knowledge help Finn? It could help Ben make his case. Yes, if they were getting into this together, Finn should know.

"She's a Palpatine."

"What?" Finn's air of indifference broke, as if he had suddenly forgotten to look tough.

"Rey. She's the Emperor's granddaughter. Turning her was his goal all along. I think—" his voice broke. He had hardly acknowledged what he had known to be true since first meeting the Emperor. The endpoint of everything he had gone through, his suffering, this was it—"I think he was just using me to get at her. This whole time. Long before I even knew she existed." He bit the inside of his cheek, looking down and willing the unexpected dampness in his eyes not to overwhelm their lids.

"That's all the more reason we need to go get her!" Finn exclaimed.

Ben gulped and regained his composure. "Turning her back won't be so simple. She hasn't simply decided to open herself to the Dark side of the Force. She's become a Sith—let all of the Sith of the path into her as well as the Dark side."

"So you…you weren't a Sith?" Finn asked.

"Never truly a Sith, no. Not for lack of trying," Ben added more softly. "Which means we can't just convince her to come back. Not like...not like she did with me."

"We still owe it to her to try. Your knowledge is appreciated, Solo, but my decision is final."

Ben sighed. He had figured Finn would be stubborn. He also knew he was pushing his luck. The Resistance had no solid reason to trust him, and fighting with their general was not a good look. Especially after begging for his help to do exactly what Ben was now warning him against. "Yes, General," he said.

Ben was surprised when, rather than leaving, Finn took a step toward him and helped him to his feet, gingerly supporting Ben on the side of his bad ankle.

"We're still keeping guards on you and the doors'll lock from the outside," Finn said, "but we figured we might as well move you to a real room."

"...thanks," Ben panted as the two men shuffled down one of the stone hallways that made up the base on Ajan Kloss, two Resistance guards trailing after them.

* * *

The room was by no means comfortable, but Ben didn't care. Finn had removed the binders from his wrists and his hands were his own again. Ben knew he was still a prisoner, but the Resistance didn't seem to be making great efforts to contain him. They were certainly all too familiar with the extent of his power. Perhaps they knew he wouldn't get far with only one good leg, or perhaps now that he had spoken with Finn, they didn't really care if he left, so long as the guards would protect them from any potential attacks. They had at least taken his lightsaber, and though Ben knew that was fully practical, he missed having something his mother had made by his side.

A reluctant and rather curt medic had wrapped his ankle and inspected his ribs, administering a few treatments to speed the healing process and leaving him with a cold pack. Someone else had stopped by just long enough to thrust a stack of clothes at him and mumble that Finn said to tell him that Leia requested he be given a new shirt. He had given them a nod and a polite "thank you," and sent up a silent thanks to his mom as well. The clothes couldn't have come too soon.

Now Ben lay on his back, nearly filling the small cot. He ran his fingers over the rim of melted fabric around the hole in his old shirt. Rey had made it when she had stabbed him with his own lightsaber not two days before. He probably would have just kept wearing the shirt. So what if it had a hole? Rey had given him that hole. So what if it was gritty from days of wear? He had more important things to worry about. But the medic had cut it off him—thankfully leaving the hole intact. It hadn't really been necessary, cutting the shirt off. But his ribs _had_ hurt when he raised his arms to pull the garment over his head, and the medic had insisted. Ben figured that, sworn to the duty of healing the wounded, she would have accepted any opportunity of small destruction toward him. Chances were most of her patients had been his victims, at least by association, so he probably owed her more than the cutting of his shirt.

Ben sat up and reached for the stack of clothing, the chill of night reaching his bare chest. Groaning, he pulled the new shirt over his head and faced his reflection in the back of the shiny metal door. The shirt was a light tan, like Rey's scavenger clothes, he thought. It had a loose collar and the neck came together much farther down his chest than he was used to, revealing a V of skin. It looked like something his father would wear. He suddenly ran his fingers through his hair aggressively, trying to dishevel the illusion that it was Han looking back at him from the door. Making his hair more disorderly than it already was didn't help. He finally pinned the shirt closed just below the collar. That was better. Clasping his belt and pulling on the cloak that had also been provided made him look more…well, not like Han. Ben couldn't particularly say he looked like himself either. It had been a long time since he had seen himself in anything other than black. The cloak was darker, and he kept it draped back over his shoulders and the hood down for fear of seeing Kylo Ren in his reflection. Still, this cloak had a different feel to it. Dark as it was, it was a muted blue rather than black, the most colorful item Ben had owned in a long time. It was soft, and the texture was uneven, as if it were woven from the wool of some beast. It was warm. Here, in the jungle, maybe a little too warm. He set it off, his eyes accidentally finding the old shirt again as he did.

He reached for the spot on his chest where the blade had pierced him and then winced at the sensitive bruises beneath his skin. Still, there was nothing left of the fatal wound Rey had given him, not even a scar. Just an old hole in his shirt—the only proof that Rey had ever existed, that she had been with him—no. He was Ben because of her. Because of Han and Leia. He was proof that she could come back from the Dark. They all believed in him. If only he could crush his doubts, forget that their circumstances were different, and believe in Rey just as hard.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I honestly don't have much to say this time. I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! If you've got any feedback (criticism welcome) please leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

* * *

They had woken him early, but Ben couldn't say he was disappointed. Although exhaustion had caught up to him, Ben's sleep hadn't been pleasant in years. Wakefulness was all too welcome, even if he felt as though he was flying toward his destruction, and with it, something much worse. But Rey…he had to crush his excitement at seeing her. It was the only way to fend off the ultimate feelings of disappointment and betrayal. He had suppressed his urges well while detained—he owed it to his mother at least not to break her promise that he was an ally to the Resistance—but his fingers itched to order his TIE fighter back to Exegol. He felt as though his hands might run away from his arms, scoop up Rey, and carry her back to the rest of his cowardly being. Perhaps it was fortunate that he didn't have any say in the matter.

Ben's ankle, still bandaged, was feeling remarkably better and, ignoring the twinges of pain, he strode after Finn, cloak flowing behind him. Someone handed Leia's lightsaber back to him and another thrust a wrapped meal into his hands. Finn was getting similar treatment. The two boarded the Millennium Falcon where Chewbacca was already making pre-flight adjustments. Chewie glanced over his shoulder as they approached, looking Ben up and down but saying nothing. Ben couldn't help but notice that Chewie sat in the pilot's seat now. Best to give him space. Ben found a seat in the communal area and unwrapped his meal.

Kylo Ren had never been much of one for breakfast—or lunch either, for that matter—but the scents wafting from the food reminded Ben that he had hardly eaten in the past several days. Here was some sort of soft bread loaf, still hot from the ovens. Steam rose from the wound in its light crust as he took a bite. Along with the bread was a green jungle fruit. Long dormant memories told him it would be crisp and sweet. Ben savored the feel of the bread in his mouth. He had nearly forgotten the simple joy of eating. He was used to going long periods of time without food—he was one of those men who rarely noticed the effects of hunger until long after they began to plague him. And Kylo Ren had rarely found time in his schedule for the indulgence of a meal.

Ben marched to the front of the ship and ducked inside the cockpit, glad they hadn't taken off yet.

"We need more of this," he said, gesturing with the bread that was still in his hand.

"You…really like the bread," Finn observed.

Ben threw his head back in exasperation, casting his eyes to the ceiling. "Not for me! Rey is alone on Exegol and I don't think Palpatine stocked the pantry for her. Even Sith need to eat."

"That's a fair point." Finn got up and returned momentarily with a satchel full of food. "Alright, Chewie, are we ready?"

The Wookiee growled softly and the ship took off.

* * *

After he finished his breakfast, Ben had spent most of the flight pacing. It was simultaneously the longest and shortest trip he could remember. Now the Falcon had landed on Exegol and Ben was walking down a long stone hallway in a tight group with Finn and Chewie. They had found the doorway in the caverns, close to the throne room. Inside seemed to be some sort of living space. The hallway was lit but the passage was long and complex. The three had figured this was where they would be most likely to find Rey.

Ben fiddled with the strap suspending the bag of food from his shoulders. It crossed his broad chest almost protectively, and he clung to the idea of it with nervous hopefulness. Even with all that he had shown Finn, the former stormtrooper didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation. His plan was simple: find Rey, bring her home. Of course Finn hadn't understood, Ben was beginning to realize. What Ben had shown him, told him…Finn hadn't seen Rey turn around and betray all that she had worked for. He had seen Rey defend herself against their common enemies, Emperor Palpatine and Kylo Ren. He must have believed that ultimately, this would still be the same Rey he knew. Ben just hoped that his offering of food would be enough to soften her rage.

Finn and Chewie pulled closer to Ben as the door they had entered through came into view. The main hallway must have been a loop, then. Finn's hand kept finding its way back to the blaster on his hip; he must not have been quite so confident after all. Then the Empress stepped out from the shadows, blocking the door.

"Kylo Ren, made up your mind and come to join me?" Even in a few days she had changed. Her skin seemed paler and her face was overshadowed by a draping hood attached to a black, broad-shouldered tunic.

"Rey, we've come to bring you home," Finn said.

"Rey is dead!" the Empress hissed. "Ren, what say you?"

"I'm with them." Ben nodded at Finn and Chewie.

"Pity," she said. "Looks like I'll just have to take care of these two."

"Rey?" Finn stepped forward.

The Empress drew a lightsaber from her belt. Ben didn't recognize it—it certainly wasn't Luke's. She ignited the blades, bathing herself in red light, and moved toward Finn. The man's hand shook on his blaster, still holstered, and Ben knew with chilling certainty that none of them could draw on the Empress, not knowing that somewhere inside, she was, or had been, the Rey they loved.

Chewie growled a warning, but Finn seemed frozen. Ben sensed that he wasn't the Empress's quarry, no, she wanted him alive to rule with her. She simply intended to clear out those who stood between them. If he fled back to the Falcon while she killed Finn and Chewie, she wouldn't follow him. But no, he couldn't give up Chewbacca to save his own skin. His father's best friend. As a child, Ben had called the Wookiee Uncle Chewie. And Finn. Finn had shown him more kindness than he was due. But more importantly, Ben knew that Rey would never come back from killing Finn. It would tear her apart until the Empress crushed her into nothing.

Ben stepped forward, in front of Finn, in front of Chewie. "You want them, you have to go through me."

The Empress hardly hesitated, slashing at him with her double-bladed saber. Ben hadn't quite expected this immediate and vicious of an attack, but dodged the blow and danced to the side, trying to manipulate her position farther from his companions. Ben ducked as a blade sliced the air over his head. If he could get in under it and disarm her…He spotted Finn and Chewie, still frozen, staring as the Empress fought. "Go!" Ben yelled, and the two seemed to unfreeze, moving toward the exit.

The Empress took advantage of Ben's momentary distraction and kicked at him, her foot connecting with his chest and sending him backward. And then the stone floor was digging into his back and Rey—no, the Empress, was crouched on his chest, her saber hovering over his throat. The skin of Ben's neck was uncomfortably warm. Every point of contact with her buzzed with energy. He stared up into her face and then she saw him glance behind her, where Finn was hesitating in the door, his weapon half drawn. The Empress rose fluidly, turning her weapon toward its original target. Ben tried to scramble to his feet but his ankle throbbed again, buckling under his weight. He bit his lip to keep the string of curses from escaping his mouth."Get out of here," he roared. "No more deaths on my behalf!"

Finn's feet thudded down the tunnel, and the Empress raced after him. Desperation helped Ben concentrate and he reached out with the Force, grabbing her and holding her, and ever so slowly dragging her back toward him. She spat and struggled furiously, and Ben shook with the effort of containing the Empress's power. Then in the distance he saw the silhouette of the Falcon rising, and he let her go as he slumped back to the floor.

* * *

**Author's Note:** The action's finally starting to pick up, I'm excited! Please let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

* * *

The Empress turned back to Ben, her eyes blazing. She reached out toward him and his body rose into the air. He gasped as his air supply was roughly cut off and grabbed at his neck. He raked at himself, his nails leaving bloody trails in the tender skin of his throat before he recognized what was happening. With Snoke dead, it had been a while since he had been Force-choked. Ben knew the best thing he could do was relax and let it pass. Without his breathing to center him, he closed his eyes and focused on the hammering of his heart. Heavy. Panicked. He tried to slow it, to delay inevitably expending the oxygen in his lungs. His chest ached. Force-choking was rarely a method of execution, but Ben felt dizzy and lightheaded. All he could sense from the Empress was unfiltered rage, no sign that she planned to ever let him go. "I…brought….food," he gasped, forcing the last bit of air out of his lungs.

Ben fell to the ground, released. He was dimly aware of an audible crack he when his foot hit the stone floor, but he was too busy coughing as he waited for his orientation to return to address it. He gasped and spluttered as the Empress stood over him, watching. Ben finally pulled himself to his feet, propping himself up against the wall. He lifted the satchel, ducked his head out of the strap, and handed it to the Empress. She looked down at the bag, then back up at him, and turned and walked away down the passage, the shoulder strap clenched in her fist.

Ben limped after her, struggling to keep up with her pace. She vanished through a doorway, and he eventually came to lean quietly against the open frame. The lighting was harsh but somehow not bright enough to reach the room's corners. The furnishings were sparse—a hard bed attached to the wall, some drawers, a closet, a small, blocky table by the bed. The Empress was busy removing the food from the bag and sorting it into piles—bread, fruits, something that looked like dried meat. She stashed one pile under the bed and then turned with the next in her arms, spotting him watching her. "Ren," she said, "I may wish for you to rule the galaxy by my side, but don't _ever_ come into my quarters when my back is turned."

He held up his hands in defeat. "I'm still outside."

She glared at him. "I suggest getting settled into your new home. I doubt your _friends_ are coming back for you. They've abandoned you here with me, just like everyone else."

Ben turned toward the door she was looking at across the hall, mostly so she wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. That did indeed seem to be his lot in life. It had been his father and then his uncle, and now it was Finn, who he had known for all of a day and a half, and even Rey, who, somehow, inexplicably, he trusted to be by his side when it mattered most. But he refused to abandon her. He slipped through the door, away from the eyes of the Empress.

The room inside surprised him. It looked little like that of the Empress. The bed was much larger and, Ben noted as he dropped onto it, much softer. He propped up his injured ankle on his opposite knee, then cautiously slid his boot off and unwrapped the bandages. He couldn't tell what was different, but the pain was much more intense as his fingers explored his tender flesh. He gave up and tried to assess the room instead. The bed was clothed in a thick, dark red comforter and several pillows. There was an empty shelf against the wall. Two doors other than the one he had come through led out of the room. Knowing he should explore the doors for the sake of safety at least, he limped over to them. The first was a closet, and the second lead to a private bathroom. As he opened the door, thoughts of a shower unexpectedly flooded his mind. It had been days since he had washed himself. No, he couldn't stand up for that long. Thankfully there was also a tub.

Several minutes later, Ben was soaking in hot water, his ankle propped up to keep the swelling down. The whole ankle thing was definitely going to be an issue. Ben didn't want to think about that. Instead, his mind turned to his surroundings. The knots and aches in his muscles were beginning to work themselves out. The Resistance certainly didn't have quarters so luxurious as these. Luxurious…that certainly wasn't a word he would have used to describe his life as part of the Dark side. His quarters had looked more like those of the Empress—harsh, sterile, and without the indulgence of comfort. This wasn't the Dark side way at all. Maybe, _maybe_, there was a little more Light left in the Empress than he had thought. Maybe staying here wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe he had a chance to turn her. He could at least keep an eye on her. It wasn't like he had a better plan. And what had she said? _I may wish for you to rule the galaxy by my side. _She had said it so casually, as if that revelation wouldn't have blown open his world. Kylo Ren would have adored her, he thought, nearly nostalgically. A woman who shared his goals, who _wanted_ to be side by side. A dull ache arose in his chest. Ben knew that feeling of being wanted could lead him anywhere.

He sank lower in the water, reaching to rinse the dried blood from the scratches on his neck. After all, Finn and Chewie had left him here. Ben and the Empress, abandoned together. No, he reminded himself, he had told them to go. To protect them…that had to count for something. Unless this was what he wanted all along, to be here, alone, with her.

Ben heard someone enter the bedroom and instinctively reached for the lightsaber he had left next to his bath. He was glad when the footsteps stopped outside the door. This was far from the ideal situation to be attacked. Ben rose from the bath, gripping the unlit saber as water streamed from his body. He dried himself and dressed quickly, wincing as he pulled a pant leg over his swollen ankle. Weapon still in hand, he limped through the doorway.

The Empress was sitting on his bed. "I thought we had a rule about not entering each other's quarters," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "_I _have a rule about you not entering _my_ quarters."

"Alright," said Ben. "What do you want?"

The Empress sighed. "As much as you deserve to hobble around like that after depriving me of my chase, you are of little use to me in this state. Come here."

Ben knew it was an order rather than an invitation, and he sat down next to her. She placed her hand on his thigh, and Ben tried to control the agitated beating of his heart as the bones in his ankle realigned and the swelling subsided. "Thank you."

The Empress didn't respond. After a moment, she rose and swept out of the room, black cloak billowing behind her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I realized that maybe I should clarify that I don't use "Rey" and "the Empress" interchangeably but neither is always an accurate representation of who the character is. I'm using a close third person narration style, so the name usually reflects who Ben sees her as. He sort of slips up and calls her Rey out of habit when he's startled or not thinking. Not sure if I needed to explain, but anyway I hope y'all are enjoying the story.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_**

* * *

Ben lay in the large bed, staring up at the stone ceiling. Although it was hard to tell what time of day it was inside the cavern, he sensed that the sun had been down for a while. He was tired, but sleep did not come easily. Ben had never been good at letting go of wakefulness, making himself vulnerable to his own mind and the outer world alike. At least the Resistance had placed guards outside his room. It didn't help that the bed was so soft. Ben was used to sleeping on thin, stiff mattresses. It didn't feel right.

Why go to the trouble of comfort for him when the Empress's own quarters were so sparse? The living area that Snoke had provided him with had been the bare minimum, designed to keep him from deriving any small amount of joy from it. He knew how it worked. A strong Dark side Force-user had to be kept angry. Comfort would have undermined his power. Even after Snoke's death, the quality of Ben's living space had remained the same.

Then Ben realized that _of course_ Rey hadn't designed this place. It was carved out of stone and furnished with running water. It couldn't have been put together in two days. Palpatine—or his followers—must have created the dwelling. One room designed to keep the Empress in a choke collar of unease, just as his had been, the other…Ben hadn't always been kept on a chain. At first, Snoke had made him feel welcomed, as if he had finally found his place in the galaxy. At first, he was comfortable. Just like now. _There are always two Sith. A master and an apprentice_. This room was for the hesitant apprentice. For him. It was him. Nearly his whole life he had been apprentice to masters who would end up hovering over him with weapons drawn, waiting to strike at an inkling of disloyalty within him. Ben's breath was coming faster. He couldn't stay here.

Just then, the door slid open and the hooded figure of the Empress strode into the room. Ben's mind was reeling. His mother's saber flew into his hand as he scrambled into a sitting position. He hadn't left it far away, but panic made his call instinctive. The Empress pushed her hood back and let her cloak drop. In the dim light, Ben could see that she was unarmed. He told himself to relax. But why was she here? He reached for her in the Force.

"You're lonely," he said.

The Empress raised an eyebrow. "So are you. And scared."

Ben shrugged. It was no secret, at least, not from her.

"Darkness seeks out darkness," she said softly, "and I sense it in you, Kylo." Her voice had mostly lost the cold edge the Empress usually had.

"I know, Rey." The name had slipped through his lips before he had time to think about it.

The Empress turned sharply toward him. "_Don't_ call me by that name. Rey was just a weak, scrappy scavenger and she is no more."

Ben was instantly reminded of how she had stubbornly called him Ben, and how he had eventually given up correcting her. Names had power. "That scavenger still lives in you. Don't act like I didn't see you squirreling away food earlier." He looked away, toward the dark doorway. He had an idea—maybe it was bad, but…bad ideas were better than no ideas. "What are you going to eat here, when that runs out?" he asked. "If you came back to the Resistance with me, they would feed you."

She hissed softly, her cheek twitching. Ben couldn't have helped but to watch as her body, featherlight at their first encounter, had developed into something powerful. She had known starvation, and they hadn't been friends. Ben could feel that the idea still scared her. But when she spoke her face was set. "I won't be manipulated by your offers of food. I've told you, the scavenger is gone!"

Ben sighed. He hadn't really expected it to work. He would take one more chance. For Rey. "Even if that were so, it's the scrappy scavenger I fell in love with. I'm not going to turn for the Empress."

She stood up and started to walk away. Ben sensed anxious conflict in her, but no aggression toward him, at least for the time being. Keeping the lightsaber close, he slid back into the dent his body had made in the mattress. There was no way he would fall asleep now but rest, rest would be good enough. In the doorway, the Empress stopped walking. Her shoulders slumped just a bit and she turned around, keeping her eyes on the floor. She crawled onto the bed and curled up on top of the covers next to him, her knees tucked nearly to her chin. She suddenly seemed so much smaller. Ben sensed waves of desolation and worry radiate out from somewhere deep inside her. His heart ached for her and maybe with just a twinge of hope. He stretched an arm around her protectively, and without a word she nestled into it.

* * *

Ben must have drifted off at some point because he woke early in the morning. There were others here, he could sense it. He threw on his cape and fastened his boots. Although Ben preferred to sleep in less, he hadn't wanted to leave himself unprepared. He eased open his door and leaned into the hallway. Hurrying down the passage toward him were Finn and Chewie.

Chewbacca growled something too soft to allow Ben to make out the finer nuances of the language. In a fluid motion, the Wookiee scooped up Ben and threw him over his furry shoulder. Ben's rescuers rushed back toward the entrance, Finn covering the area behind them, blaster drawn. "Chewie!" Ben hissed, trying to keep his voice down. "Put me down! I can walk—she fixed my ankle—ow! Watch my kriffing ribs!"

Just as Chewie set Ben on his feet, the Empress strepped in front of them, blocking their path once again. Finn moved to the front of the group, his blaster drawn but his hand shaking. Ben froze. Finn gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger.

"No!" Ben launched himself forward but Chewie caught his arm, holding him back as a ring of blue light struck the Empress and she collapsed. Finn knelt next to her, cupping her face in his hand. "I'm sorry, Rey."

_Don't touch her._ Ben struggled against the Wookiee's grip, knowing he had no right to voice his thoughts.

"We need to get out of here," Finn said, rising. "It won't take long for the stun to wear off."

Relief flooded Ben's veins and his body sagged. He took a breath, realizing he hadn't filled his lungs since the shot. He focused on dousing the bright flame of anger that had bloomed inside him so quickly. Chewie tugged at Ben's arm. Finn was already heading toward the door.

"I'm not leaving you for good," Ben said softly over his shoulder.

* * *

Once the Falcon was in the air, Ben settled near the cockpit. "Why did you come back for me?" he asked.

Chewie rumbled softly. _You killed Han._

"Sorry I asked," said Ben, bitterness creeping into his voice. "Can we talk about this another time?"

_You're all that's left of him._

Ben's breath caught in his throat, and the hostility drained out of him. He desperately, almost panickedly, wanted to be different from his father. But he knew that, in some way, the Wookiee was right. The memory of Han was alive within him, and maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. It wasn't quite anger that Ben sensed from Chewie.

"I don't know what he told you," said Finn, "but we can't afford Kylo Ren coming back. We stopped at the nearest outpost to get blasters with stun settings."

"What's the plan?" asked Ben.

"Regroup, get a second opinion. This is worse than I thought."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just a heads up the next chapter will be short. I'll try to update sooner than usual to try to make up for that, depending on how far ahead I can get this weekend.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

* * *

The Empress was furious. Her anger was not uncommon, but this was personal. Kylo Ren, the man who was supposed to stand by her side, had left her here, petrified and cold on the stone floor, waiting to regain her body. She had seen him with her on the throne of the Sith. They were bound together, a dyad in the Force. She wasn't supposed to be alone, not again, never again. The feeling was coming back to her limbs and she groaned, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Now, she had a goal, somewhere to channel her rage. She would destroy Ben Solo. She had failed to kill those who had taken him from her, and that had come back to hurt her. She would kill them all. No one would ever take anything from her again. No one would stiff her of her work's worth of portions. No one would steal what little companionship she had. She was the Sith Empress, the ultimate power in the galaxy. When she was finished, no one would dare refuse her.

The Empress rose and walked back to the apprentice room to collect the cloak she had left on its floor when she wandered back to her room last night. She was going out. Ren may have left her, but there were others on this planet who she could keep under tighter control. She could feel it. She strode out of the unfinished stone palace and out of the Sith Citadel. All around her loomed the shapes of Star Destroyers, some broken into pieces, others nearly whole. There would be so many valuable parts inside, endless possibilities of what she could make. It was a scavenger's paradise. If she had enough time, she could make a speeder so she wouldn't have to walk.

No! The scavenger was dead. Taking the time to build a speeder was far below the Empress's dignity. She could walk.

She could feel the presence of others nearby, up ahead. They weren't those she had originally been seeking, but their presence grew stronger as she approached. They would be the foundation of her army. The Empress made her way around a fallen Star Destroyer, into a camp of humans. They had cleared out a sort of living space and had a fire going in the center of the area. There were between thirty and forty individuals, and stormtrooper armor was scattered around. So these were the survivors.

"Who're you?" The group had noticed that one of them was different.

"Empress Palpatine. And that's no way to address your superior." It slightly bothered the Empress, now that she considered it, that she had never been given a Sith name. But that didn't matter. She wasn't a mere Sith lord. She was Empress.

"You can't be asking us to fight _again!_ We've got wounded," cried the one who had asked her identity.

"You will do what I need you to," the Empress commanded, lifting the man into the air by his throat. She released her grip in the Force and dropped him seconds before he would have lost consciousness. She reached out for each of the survivors' minds and bent them to her will as she ordered: "you will don your armor and collect your weapons, and wait for me until I return."

"We will don our armor, collect our weapons, and wait until you return," chorused back the Empress's new army.

She turned and departed into the field of ships, following the sense of her true quarry. When she found them, she would crush Ben Solo into the ground forever. What was it that he had said? _It's the scrappy scavenger I fell in love with. I'm not going to turn for the Empress._ Was he suggesting that he _would_ turn for Rey? He had once before. And surely, _surely,_ it would be easier to turn to the Dark with her than to the Light alone. The Empress didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to kill Ben. She wanted Kylo Ren. What reason could he possibly have _not_ to return to her? Maybe she could still turn him. She had always sensed that there was darkness in him. There always would be. But even now, she knew he was conflicted. Perhaps, if she let just a little bit of the scavenger out, she could tempt him, tease him, play him into her grasp. Belief that he had hope to turn her, a reminder that she was the one he loved, these would be Ben Solo's undoing. Kylo Ren was in him somewhere, the Empress just had to reach him. And, if he failed to come to her, she would extinguish him, just as she had planned. The Force would be consumed by Darkness yet.

The Empress could see those she was seeking striding toward her. She sensed them strongly within the Force. The six of them must have felt her too, because they had purpose in their steps. It didn't matter that their numbers were few. This was strength the Empress could harness. The dark, masked figures reached the Empress and knelt before her, setting their weapons at her feet.

"Mistress," one said.

The Empress's mouth curled into a sneer.

"Rise, my knights," she commanded,"for soon we march on your former master."

* * *

**Author's Note:** This chapter was so much fun to write. I guess I should write from the perspective of my antagonists more often.

Thanks to everyone who has followed or favorited or reviewed so far! Your support means a lot!


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

* * *

It had been a long day, but then, Ben could hardly remember when days hadn't felt this drawn out. He had returned from Exegol with Finn and Chewie the evening before with no progress to report. All of today had been taken up by meetings. Ben wouldn't have been allowed to attend if not for his knowledge of the Force and the Dark side. His presence had been controversial, he knew. Tensions radiated from every member of the resistance. Their best fighter, their hero, had left them in exchange for the leader of those they had lived and died to oppose. No one seemed to agree and everyone seemed to have different ideas of what to do. Ben had heard a number of calls to eliminate the Empress before she gained any considerable power, as well as arguments that he himself should be executed for his crimes—which, Finn had reminded the group, wasn't up for debate in the time being. Many were still struggling to comprehend the fact their beloved Rey had truly turned to the Dark side. A few had even suggested that the Empress be held as a prisoner until they figured out what to do with her, but Ben knew her state was delicate despite her strength. Taking the offensive could destroy them, and it might destroy Rey as well. Would she understand that they had done what they thought they had to? Or would she feel betrayed and reluctant to trust in the future? He had grown to understand, eventually, that light will oppose dark—it was in their nature. But at first, finding his own mother leading the band of fighters that sought to destroy his new empire had struck him hard. It had confirmed what he had suspected for so long: he could never come home to her. Would Rey know her friends would accept her no matter what she had done? At least, Ben hoped that they would. Right now, the Empress's misdeeds were few, and Ben wanted to keep it that way. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he stared off into space. Despite hours of deliberation, it felt as if no one was any closer to a solution.

Ben blinked suddenly and looked behind him. He felt as though he had suddenly been hit with a wave of sound just high enough to be outside his hearing range. Rey stood before him, here, in his Resistance quarters on Ajan Kloss. "The bond, it…it still works?" he breathed.

"When I want it to," she replied.

Ben tried desperately to keep his mind from drifting. He was tired, and he'd had no time to prepare for her showing up in his room. Besides the wrappings on her forearms, she was clothed in one, long strip of sheer black fabric, looped and crossed over her body like the draping tunic from her scavenger days. A belt at her waist was all that kept the cloth in place, although Ben could already see more of her than he ever had. She had wonderful thighs, slender and strong…_Focus,_ he told himself. He needed to find out to what extent they were still connected. "Neither one of us had much control over the bond before."

"Yes, when my power equaled your own," the Empress said. Ben watched her lips mold each word. "But that's the difference between you and me. You were weak. You never surpassed your masters. I killed mine and claimed his power for myself."

"I killed Snoke."

"With my help! You were complacent without me, nothing but Snoke's dog."

Ben seethed. She was right, of course. Without her he had been Snoke's to use. His search for power had made him weak, made him a thing, a weapon to be used by his masters. He wanted to be the one to wield himself. Did she want to use him as well? Rey had always made him feel safer, as though he weren't alone, but he desperately wanted not to be anyone else's weapon.

"No." She stepped toward him, speaking softly. "You won't be. I saw us _both_ on the throne of the Sith, equals." She had reached him now, and stood above him, chin up, but eyes staring down to meet his. One of her fingers traced its way down his neck, catching on the collar of his shirt and tugging at the pin that held it closed. He shivered under her light touch. "We're strongest together," she whispered, her breath warm in his ear. "A dyad in the Force. We belong to each other."

The flame of passion that had flared up angrily within Ben was quick to accept the fuel the Empress offered, blazing into new forms.

Their ragged breathing drew together and the Empress's lips were on his, hard and hungry. Ben's entire body burned. She pushed him back against the bed. Ben lifted his hands instinctively to pull her closer and then stopped.

The woman on top of him wasn't Rey. Not _his_ Rey. She never would have called him weak, called him nothing, he thought, he hoped. He had fallen for her perfect balance of gentleness and strength, the compassion she was quick to give and quick to retract. This was a shadow of what he had thought he had wanted, but now feeling her on him, he longed for the old Rey back. His Rey. No, she wasn't his. He had no right to decide how she should and shouldn't be. Maybe being Dark was her choice. Maybe…maybe this was how she had always been, underneath the shining exterior. Had she never really believed that there was more to him than Kylo Ren? Then what good was it, trying to be something better? No, no, she had told him to save her. He couldn't let that part of her down. Ben's hands found her shoulders and lifted her gently away from him. "I can't, Rey."

She stood up, looking up at him with big eyes, and then down at herself. Ben could see nearly all of her through her disheveled clothing. He felt something shift in her as her breathing grew shallow and accelerated and she crossed her arms over her chest. She blinked and failed to check the tears that rolled smoothly down her cheeks and over her flushed lips. Ben stood up, grabbing his crumpled blue cloak from the end of his bed. He reached out to drape it around her shoulders. Her flinch was nearly imperceptible but he felt it ripple out in the Force. He withdrew his hands. "Are you alright?"

She nodded slightly and took the cloak from him, pulling it tight around herself and sitting down next to him. "Thank you."

"Do you want to leave? It's okay if you do," Ben said softly.

"No." She leaned into him, cheek against his chest.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders carefully, and smoothed wayward strands of hair back into place before tucking her head under his chin. "You're not alone," he whispered.

"Ben? How…" The name took him by surprise, but before he had time to react she had blinked and bit her lip. She shrugged off his cloak and stood up, turning to walk away and vanishing several paces later.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I definitely channeled a bit of my massive crush on Rey into Ben here.

Also how did everyone like the Empress's POV last chapter?


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

* * *

Finn was restless. Evening stretched into night and he felt no hint of sleep. The pale eyes of the Empress, wide with shock as he stunned her, were burned into his mind. They didn't look like Rey's eyes at all. Rey was his best friend in the galaxy, other than Poe, perhaps. Their lives had been dark and lonely before they had found each other. And now, suddenly, Finn had abandoned her and they had been thrust onto opposing sides of the war. Finn knew she was out there, alone and hurting, and the longer they left her like that, the more of a threat she became.

Sighing, Finn stopped his pacing and slipped into the corridor outside his room. He tapped softly on Poe's door.

"Hello," said a groggy voice from within.

"It's just me," Finn called.

"Oh, come in then."

Finn sat down on the bed. "Sorry to wake you—what are you doing?" Poe was tangled in his shirt, one sleeve over his arm, the rest caught on his head.

"Started putting this on before I knew it was you. Don't judge, I'm half asleep."

A smile played across Finn's lips, easing the tension in his head. He reached up to free his boyfriend.

"The real question," said Poe, "is what'd you wake me up for?"

"Can't sleep. I'm just real worried about Rey."

"We all are," Poe sighed.

"It's okay if you want to go back to sleep," said Finn. "I'd just…"

"You'd rather be here?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

Finn slid into the bed, closing his eyes against the warmth of Poe's body. He knew that Poe cared for him. Could Rey say the same? Did she know that they would fight for her? If only he knew how.

* * *

Ben needed out. He couldn't think in this little room with stone walls and warm, humid air. Especially when _she _had been here and then vanished without a trace. He almost could have imagined it, the way he had vividly pictured his father on Kef Bir. The only proof that the Empress had been here were Ben's swollen lips and the aching in his chest.

Ben threw on the blue cloak and opened the door, finding his way immediately blocked by two guards.

"I just want to take a walk," he sighed. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Yeah, no. You're staying here," said one of the guards.

"I came all the way back from Exegol," Ben growled. "I'll come back from…this general area too."

"You were _brought_ back from Exegol," the guard corrected.

Ben clenched his fists. He was sure using the Force on Resistance guards was not good form. And yet, though he had never really struggled with claustrophobia before, now it felt like the walls were closing in on him. "You will let me pass, alert no one that I am gone, and wait for my return."

One of the guards grew glassy eyed and repeated Ben's order. The other spat in the dirt at Ben's feet. "That's not going to work on me, Ren"

Ben's eyelid twitched as he stared down the guard. "You will let me pass, alert no one that I am gone, and wait for my return."

The guard blinked and lowered his blaster, stepping out of Ben's way. Ben flicked the hood of his cloak up over his head and paced off into the trees.

The guard was partially right about Exegol. Part of Ben had wanted to stay. He didn't want to leave Rey, not alone, not at all. Perhaps it was a good thing that Finn and Chewie hadn't given him much of a choice. Ben ached with conflict whenever he was around her. It was so easy to accept her as she came to him. There was no place in the galaxy for Ben Solo, but now he knew where Kylo Ren belonged: at the right hand of the Empress. If he had stayed, he would have turned to her sooner or later, and the galaxy would have been doomed. But Rey did have a place outside of the Empress. These were people that needed her. Frizz, he needed her too. Ever since the Force had first connected them, he had lived for the moments he would see her again. He would snatch minutes alone when he could, hoping beyond hope that the Force would bring them together again. And then, for a brief few hours they had both been in the light and then she was gone. Ben sank to his knees, his forehead pressed against rough tree bark.

Sooner or later they would have to fight. Rey was so much better suited to this than he was. If he'd had a choice, Ben would have switched places with her in an instant. In his place, Rey would do what needed to be done. She always had. She hadn't let feelings get in her way. Not like Ben was doing now. He wanted so badly to go to her—with no one watching him, he could steal a ship and head to Exegol right now. But even minutes with her always began to bring out what he had forcefully buried. He didn't miss the pain and misery of the Dark side. But was what he was feeling now any better? She had begged him to save her, or…_kill me if you must._ Ben closed his eyes. He was so sure he had seen a bit of Rey. She had called him by his name, sought out his comfort—he couldn't destroy that. Rey. Rey. He just wanted her _back_. Part of him was missing without her. He felt empty inside, and wondered if she felt the same way. _Weak_, said the voice that had ingrained itself into Ben's consciousness. _These feelings make you weak. _His breathing was rough as he pressed himself against the tree trunk.

Ben felt a hand on his shoulder. Had the Force connected him with Rey again so soon? He turned, but the Empress was not behind him. Instead, it was Leia, lit blue from within, her hand resting on Ben's shoulder.

"You'll do what you have to, Ben." The back of a finger brushed up his cheek. Ben closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was alone as ever.

* * *

The Empress had given Kylo Ren a chance. And he had disappointed her. For a moment, even, he had gotten the better of her. The scavenger had broken through, just long enough to panic about what the Empress was using her body for. What a pitiful former self. The Empress would be secure only when she had destroyed all that Rey had loved. And when Ben Solo and the Resistance were gone, who would dare oppose her?

She was ready. She had salvaged a troop carrier from the wrecks. It was plenty big enough to carry her small army. She had fixed what was broken, or at least, directed the stormtroopers in fixing it. She had fixed the broken troopers too, taking the life out of those that were beyond immediate repair and transferring it to those with lesser injuries. Now they worked like a well oiled machine. The Knights of Ren, too, obeyed her every command.

Ben had given her valuable information. He had been alone in a bedroom, and with everything to do around the Resistance base, that could only mean that it was evening on Ajan Kloss. It was the perfect time for an attack. By the time she arrived, most everyone would be sleeping, and few would suspect her plans. Not after they had seen her with nothing so recently. Ben would be destabilized, perhaps truly believing that she was still the scavenger. He wouldn't hurt her just after their evening encounter. She had called the Resistance base home for longer than anywhere other than Jakku—there was no way she could forget the coordinates. So the Resistance wanted her back? They would get her.

* * *

**Author's Note: **frizz is one of the seemingly lesser know Star Wars swears, often used by smugglers. Wonder where Ben could have picked that one up?

Also I just wanted to say that we are drawing close to the end of this story. I do have ideas for a sequel, but I wanted to let you all know more or less what to expect from the next week or so.


	11. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

* * *

Ben was having his usual nightmares. Blood, death, a montage of faces, frozen in cold horror at the red blade that sliced through their bodies. Snoke on his throne, blue Force lightning coursing from his fingertips and through Ben's stiff body. Suddenly Rey was there. She summoned his saber, that damned thing that had done so much damage, vaulted onto the arm of the throne, and sliced Snoke in two. Ben's body ached with relief, but only for a moment because Rey had taken the throne herself and sharp electricity shot from her outstretched hand. Somehow, when it hit him, it hurt so much more. He writhed and screamed, and the volume of his lungs didn't seem to do justice to his pain.

Ben sat upright in the darkness, biting his lip to muffle his cry. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. He took several deep lungfuls of cool night air, reaching out to ground himself in reality. In the Force, he could feel Resistance members asleep in the rooms around him, the guards outside his door, trees and small animals farther outside. And, something more. A number of people gathered outside, headed toward the base. The Empress was in their midst. Even far away, he could feel the waves of scorching fury rolling off of her.

Ben shook his body into full wakefulness and snatched his mother's lightsaber from the bedside. He threw open the door to his room to find the guards slumped against the frame, asleep. _Useless._ As he ran by, Ben rudely kicked the one that had spat at him earlier. Someone needed to alert the Resistance.

Across the base, Ben was met with a wall of stormtroopers. Between the white helmets, his brown eyes met the Empress's yellow ones.

"You are nothing, Ben Solo." He could hear her words through their bond, and then with one sweep of her hand she flung him across the base to crash into an X-wing far from her. Ben groaned and tried to pull himself up. Alarms were sounding throughout the base. _Good._ Even if he did nothing else, at least he had alerted the Resistance. But that also meant that Rey was in danger. Resistance fighters surged out of the tunnels of the base, opening fire on the stormtroopers. Ben spotted Finn, back to back with the other general, shouting something to the others. The Empress was still behind the first wave of stormtroopers. There weren't many of them. Ben had to get to her before she caused the utter destruction he knew she would be capable of. He struggled to his feet, only to find himself surrounded.

_Kriff._ Ben ignited his lightsaber and turned and leapt onto the ship he had been thrown against.

"You're making a mistake," Ben warned, hoping that the masked figures believed him more than he believed himself. The knights were not deterred. They followed him onto the wings of the ship, and Ben found himself slashing furiously, trying to ward off attacks from six sides. He sprung into the air, just in time to avoid being cleaved in two by Ap'lek's Mandalorian ax. Ben brought his blade down on Cardo's neck. He winced as he felt the familiar man die. He didn't have time to be sentimental. He had eliminated a weapon but five more were still aiming for his head.

Standing on the nose of the X-wing, Ben turned to face the knights. He refused to give up his elevation. Maybe he could funnel them, prevent more than a few from attacking at once. Then the blades were back to hacking at him and he spun and blocked, letting his senses guide his adrenaline fueled body. He managed to kick Ushar in the chest as he caught the man's blade against his saber. The knight toppled backward, taking a second with him, and both lay still below the ship. Ben slashed through the closest two, then let his momentum carry his body in an arc, his saber finding its final target and sinking up to its hilt in the chest of the man behind him.

Deactivating his saber and leaping down from the X-wing, Ben looked over his shoulder at the fallen knights. He would not grieve them. They were behind him now, forever. But ahead of him was the Empress, still protected by her troopers, though now she was leading the charge. As Ben approached he could see the destruction she had left in her wake. The charred flesh of her former friends steamed in the cool, humid jungle air.

"Rey!" Ben watched as a young woman ran toward the Empress. Finn grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her out of the way of the red lightsaber. He wasn't quite fast enough and she screamed as it grazed her flesh. How much of this could Rey stomach before giving in entirely to the Empress? Ben had to stop her, now.

He focused on Rey, desperately hoping he could will the Force into connecting them once again. He felt the bond give in and whispered, "come and get me."

The Empress turned toward him, slow and purposeful, abandoning her former targets. She stalked toward him, stormtroopers parting before her glaring blades.

"_You're_ still alive," she observed sharply.

"I lead the knights for a reason." Ben's fingers fidgeted with the switch on his saber. Now he had her attention and he was her new target. She was supposed to be his. Yet there was a reason she had always bested him in combat, and it wasn't lack of skill on his end.

"You will die," snarled the Empress, "like your father and mother, for their fragile Resistance."

"No," said Ben, slipping the lightsaber onto his belt. If there was ever a moment for Rey to come through, it must be now. There had to be another option. "Please, Rey, we don't have to fight. I'll help you." Ben extended his free hand, begging her with his eyes to do what she never had, offering what she had said she wanted. _Ben's hand. _The Empress's gold eyes met his. Her brow furrowed and her face twitched. Somewhere behind her, the dark morning sky was starting to turn pink. The Force vibrated between them, and Ben's hand shook. "Please, come _home._"

She moved toward him, and for a split second Ben thought she had accepted his offer, but then her blade was arcing through the air before he could react and he was curled around the place where his hand had been, realizing that the wrenching, guttural screaming that filled his ears was coming from his chest and then the pain hit him and nothing else existed.

* * *

Dimly, as Ben clutched his severed wrist, he could see the Empress turn away from him, returning to her attack on the Resistance. His mother's people. They had trusted her with their lives, the lives of the entire galaxy. She had died for them. And for him. _You will do what you have to. _Groaning and gritting his teeth, Ben rose and ignited his mother's saber. _Kill me if you must._

He lunged in front of the Empress, catching her blow meant for a Resistance fighter. She stared down into his desperate gaze, then jabbed at him with her other blade. Ben danced backward and caught her next stroke, breathing hard. She'd left herself open, just barely, but he had a chance.

Ben closed his eyes and thrust his saber toward the Empress's chest. He felt an all too familiar burning pain in his ribs, as if his lungs had filled with lava. For a split second, the fire washed him in relief. His attack had left him unguarded, the Empress had struck while his own saber had missed, and he could sink to the earth and watch as his lovely scavenger walked away, alive. Then Ben looked down to see Rey, transfixed by his blade. The pain was not his own. The Force had connected them one last time. For a moment, he couldn't move, staring into her blazing yellow eyes, her head seeming to have fallen back to meet his gaze with betrayal, her mouth slightly open in shock. Ben blinked furiously, trying in vain to wipe away the film in his eyes that was superimposing Han's face—his father's face—over the Empress's, lit red by the blade through his chest, a hand coming out to cradle his son's cheek. Rey's hand, too, reached for him, then fell short. Ben recognized the unmistakable feeling of something inside him shattering. He wanted to scream. He flicked off the blade of his lightsaber, but the damage had already been done. No, not his lightsaber but his mother's, now and forever tainted with the vaporized blood of her first and last student.

The Empress fell limp and collapsed, and Ben dove toward her, catching her body and slipping his forearm behind her neck just as it struck the ground. Ben leaned over her, so close he should have been able to feel her hot breath, and pressed his hand against the gaping hole in her chest. If she had done it to him then he could do it too. He fed his energy into the hungry pit, hardly stopping to think what would happen if he went too far. He could expend himself in his entirety and leave the Empress to rule the galaxy unopposed. But here and now, he didn't care. Everyone he had ever loved, dead by his hands. He couldn't let it happen. Her face couldn't join those that displayed themselves to him in sleep, frozen in the throes of death. He could sense it was working—deep inside, her wound started to close as the burnt flesh of the stump of his arm split open and began to bleed. Then his vision grew hazy and dark around the edges, and he slumped to the forest floor, his one hand still on the Empress's chest as the morning sun broke over the trees.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's not star wars until someone loses a hand.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter Twelve_**

* * *

Rey was in a dark place. Mist clung to the ground and she couldn't see very far in any given direction. She wasn't sure quite how long she had been there. Every moment seemed to bleed into the next. She stepped slowly across the midnight plane, unsure of where she was going or whether she was even going anywhere. Her feet, when she could see them, made little swirling eddies in the mist as she walked.

Rey heard a familiar cackle through the fog, cold and confident, and picked up the pace, unclipping the lightsaber from her belt. The dark mist drew open around her and Palpatine stood in front of her, still withered and pale. "I've been waiting for you, granddaughter," he said.

"I am no granddaughter of yours!" Rey shouted and ran at him. Her lightsaber bit through his robes and his body dissolved into dust, swirling out in all directions. It began to reform all around Rey as dark, hooded figures. She could make out faces under some of the hoods; beneath others was only darkness. Around her, lightsabers ignited, one or two at a time until Rey was bathed in red light from the blades. The figures began to close in on her. At first she held her ground, parrying and slashing against the dark tide, but the open ring around her was growing smaller, and she could see no end to the sea of Sith. As soon as she struck one down, another filled its place. The swarm was consuming her. Rey stumbled backwards, barely avoiding a hot red blade. And then somehow she was on her knees, blue saber held defensively over her head, and the blows were coming from all sides.

Suddenly all the figures lifted into the air, rising away from her, and slammed to the ground, dissolving into the dust from which they had come. A single masked figure stalked toward her, the mist parting in his wake. _Kylo Ren. _Rey pulled herself to her feet and raised her lightsaber, panting. As she advanced, he ignited his own blade in a flurry of red sparks. Rey took the offensive. She noticed that though Kylo Ren was quick to catch her strikes, he rarely attempted blows of his own. Still, neither had landed a hit. Their bodies flew around each other, churning the fog. They were perfectly matched in skill and strength. Rey wasn't sure how much longer her stamina would last. Pulling herself back from the duel, she sheathed her blade. Kylo Ren did the same, and he reached out for Rey as she stepped toward him. Before he could react, she ignited her saber and drove the hungry blade through his chest. She could hear as his breathing caught and then he collapsed to the ground, half-shrouded in mist.

Rey knelt next to him and pulled his head into her lap. With trembling fingers she removed his mask. She wasn't sure what she had expected to find underneath, but this wasn't it. Not Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. This was Ben Solo, and he wore the face of a frightened boy, stilled with death.

"Ben…" Rey breathed, her voice hitching in her throat. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face and then slid his eyelids down, covering his dark, staring eyes. Hot tears were welling up in her eyes but they didn't have time to fall because another figure was standing over her, illuminating them both in red.

Rey stood. She was weary of fighting but raised her lightsaber defiantly. The figure staring back at her…was her, clothed in darkness and wielding a spitting double-bladed saber. Then this other version of Rey lunged toward her and their blades clashed, and Rey could quickly feel herself tiring as she tried to keep up with her double's aggressive agility. She tried to Force-shove the other away from her, and suddenly found her opponent's body stiff with blue electricity emanating from her fingertips. The face distorted and wrinkled under the force of her lightning until it was not her own face but Palpatine's, and she realized that she was the one dressed in black and holding the double bladed red saber. She broke off her attack, staring down at herself. Then she saw Palpatine, turn away from her, toward something behind her. He drew his own saber. "You brought me the girl," he said. "Your role is done."

Palpatine launched himself toward…toward Ben. For a moment, Rey was elated. Ben was here, alive. Then fury coursed through her. How dare he, this man who claimed to be her family. Ben was more family than this grandfather who had robbed her of any semblance of a normal life. She leapt in front of Palpatine, sabers blazing as rage fueled her attack. Her world was dim and red. Nothing mattered other than eliminating the Emperor. No one could stand against _her._ His saber caught her own inches from his neck. She was frozen for a second, watching his hood burn, and then she snapped her second blade around, bringing them both together through Palpatine's neck. She whirled, seeing Ben standing behind her. Without knowing quite why or what she was doing, she turned on him. Her saber cut through him in a clean arc. He dropped to his knees, but didn't seem to feel her blow. Snarling, she brought her saber through his body again and again and again, until the ache of exhaustion caught up with her. The saber dropped from her fingers and she fell to the ground next to Ben.

He gathered her in his arms. Weakly, Rey tried to push him away, but his hands were gentle and firm. And then her chest heaved with dry sobs. Ben held her tighter, and Rey buried her face in his shirt. She was tired, too tired to be angry, too tired to care. Her tight shoulders slumped. Her black cloak dissolved, leaving her in tattered white as the same dark dust swirled out and away from her, slowly materializing into the same hoards of Sith she had already fought.

Rey's hands groped for a lightsaber but Luke's had vanished and so had her red one.

"I'll protect you," Ben whispered into her hair, so softly that Rey could have imagined it. He got to his feet, igniting Leia's saber before the Sith Lords of the past. Rey stood behind him, feeling helpless and weary, throwing enemies away from Ben's back. He was a skilled fighter and so was she, but it wasn't enough. They were already losing ground. And then somewhere, through the crowd of hoods and the mist, she spotted a blue glow.

"Rey, Rey!" He was fighting his way through the hoard, Luke's lightsaber in hand.

"Finn!" He threw something at her, and instinctively she pulled it from the air with one hand. An unfamiliar lightsaber hilt. She ignited it. The blade was gold.

Finn burst into the little circle Ben and Rey had kept clear, and the three of them stood back to back, sabers drawn against the approaching tide of Sith.

* * *

**Author's Note:** so if you're confused as all heck, I don't blame you. All I'll say—I don't want to give too much away—is this is what Rey's experiencing. Dreams, hallucinations, the afterlife, you decide.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

* * *

Ben opened his eyes to bright lights and groaned. His head felt fuzzy and his body ached. He blinked several times, and shapes started forming around him. He was in bed, and a droid was resting next to him. As he sat up, it whirred to life and rose into the air. A medical droid. So he was in the medbay. He'd grown familiar enough with the place, but this was different. The equipment was much more sparse…because he was with the Resistance now. He looked down at himself, finding his body wrapped in a loose robe. His left arm was bandaged, and, as he drew it out from under the light blanket, it ended abruptly at his wrist. He touched the empty space where his hand should have been. It evoked the memory of intense pain, nearly on par with Snoke's Force lightning, and Rey, dressed in dark robes with yellow eyes and a double bladed red lightsaber. Rey…

Ben wished, at that moment, that he hadn't woken up. Because now he remembered that Rey was gone. He had felt her begin to slip away as she fell to the ground and he had tried to fill the hole his saber had made in her chest, tried to give her everything he had and he couldn't do even that. Ben covered his face with his hand, breathing heavily. It wasn't fair that after all of this, he was the one left standing. But his mother's people were safe…and that should have mattered.

The place where she should have been in their bond was hollow and blank. Ben wondered if she could come to him as a Force ghost, the way his mother did. He wished he could talk to her one last time, tell her…what? That he was sorry? That didn't seem to cut it.

Faint voices came through the wall by Ben's head. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, something like "she doesn't look good…not healing….several days…" Ben wondered who was over there. Perhaps the woman he had seen the Empress cut. Unless…

Ben closed his eyes and sank into the Force. His connection felt dimmer than usual, and he realized that despite what was probably several days of rest, he was still tired and weak. But he was also persistent. He pushed himself deeper into the currents of the Force and reached out to the next room. There were three people. One was not very familiar. One felt like Finn, and, oh, yes, Ben would recognize this one anywhere. He bit back a sob. She felt weak and distant, scared and in pain, still shrouded in darkness, but _alive_. She was here and she was alive.

Ben allowed himself to lie back and slump onto the pillow in relief. Alive. Alive. Alive. Rey was alive. And then Ben remembered what he heard. She was alive for now, yes, but how much longer? He had to get to her.

Ben stood up, then took a deep breath as the room spun and faded in and out around him. He leaned against the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass. It didn't matter. Rey, Rey was all that mattered. Ben started toward the door, and the medical droid beeped angrily and whizzed in front of him. "I have to get out," he told it.

It bumped against him, beeping and pushing him back toward the bed. "No! I don't care," said Ben. "I have to get to Rey!"

He pushed the droid out of the way but it moved back into place, blocking his exit. "Where is your kriffing off switch?"

Weakly reaching for th Force, Ben yanked the droid as far from the door as he could, then made a dash for it. He slammed the door closed behind him and the droid thudded into it, still beeping almost too fast for Ben to decipher. He leaned up against the door frame, heart pounding with the exertion. He was in the hallway now. The Resistance seemed to either have decided that he had earned his freedom from guards or that in his condition, he wasn't enough of a threat to need them. Now he just had to get into the next room. He took a breath and opened the door.

Just inside was the medic who had cut Ben's shirt off when he first came to the Resistance. She would probably be difficult. But that didn't matter, because there was Rey. Ben pushed past the medic, making his way to her bedside. She was restrained with thick straps holding her wrists and shoulders to the bed. In case the Empress woke up, Ben figured. Finn sat next to her, and judging by the circles under his eyes, it had been a long time since he had left. One of Rey's limp hands was cradled in Finn's.

Ben stood frozen for a minute, staring down at Rey's pale, almost peaceful face.

Then the medic put herself between them. "Get _away_ from my patient."

"Please, I can help her," said Ben, ripping his eyes away from Rey's purplish lips.

"Don't make me call Security," the medic spat.

Finn looked up. "You really think you can help her?"

"Yes," said Ben. He wasn't sure how much life he had left to give. But what he had, he would gladly give it all.

Finn turned to the medic. "I've seen them do this before. He has my authorization."

The medic gritted her teeth and bowed her head. "Yes, General."

Ben knelt next to the bed. He pulled up Rey's shirt and gently unwound bandages to reveal a deep hole in her chest. It had begun healing slightly around the edges, and the flesh far inside had started to reknit itself, but for the most part it remained open. The skin around it was inflamed and warm against Ben's cool fingers. He could barely feel the shallow rise and fall of her ribs.

Ben took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He tried to focus on the wound, and transferring his energy to Rey through his fingertips. And then, very slowly, the ragged flesh began to fill in, folding itself into nothing from the inside out. Ben felt the dizziness returning, and he broke contact with Rey and held onto the bed to steady himself. Finn put a hand on his back.

When the wave of unsteadiness passed, Ben looked down at the wound. It seemed healed for all that he could tell, a rough scar showing where the flesh had begun to heal on its own. Still, he pressed his hand over it again, searching for more that he could fix. Rey's cheeks were still light, near translucent. Yet, the pink was returning to her lips. Her eyelids flickered and blinked open.

Her eyes were still fiery yellow, rimmed with red. "Rey…" Ben breathed, reaching toward her before he could stop himself. She stared at him for a moment, her eyes almost unseeing. Then the red and yellow faded to warm hazel and she looked up into Ben's eyes and then Finn's, and she was struggling to sit up against the restraints. Ben leaned back, closing his eyes and releasing a shuddering breath as he felt their bond bloom back to life.

Finn scrambled to undo the straps holding Rey down and Ben tore into the ones closest to him. The restraints fell away and Rey sprang into Finn's arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: **One more chapter left!

Some notes one the last chapter: I'm not sure now whether it actually adds anything. Although, I do think there is something to be said for drawing out the answer to an audience's question (ie, whether Rey and Ben are okay, hehehe). I wanted to sort of check in on Rey, so I ended up writing that bit as a sort of fever dream while she's in this half-healed, not dead but not quite alive state—sort of her subconsciously processing everything that's happening to her.

As always, thanks for the reviews, and keep letting me know what you think about all this!


	14. Chapter 14

**_Chapter Fourteen_**

* * *

Relief washed over the entire Resistance. It was nearly overwhelming to Ben, and may have been had he not already been feeling the same things. Others had rushed into the room nearly as soon as Rey had woken up: Chewbacca, the second general—Poe, the woman Ben had seen cut in the fight. It was crowded, with so many people laughing and celebrating and trying to hug Rey. Ben had slipped out and recovered some clothes from his room. One of the medics—thankfully, not the one who had cut his shirt—had caught him in the hallway and made him step into one the rooms to have his arm rebandaged, but the man had let him go shortly after.

The Resistance seemed to have decided that they trusted him. Ben wasn't sure how long it would last, but right now they were all celebrating, and news spread fast. Ben had even seen a few nods and friendly waves directed at him as he wandered the base. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to them. No one had ever waved at Kylo Ren.

Ben finally found his way out of the medical section and into the calm, outside air. He found a smooth tree and sat down at its base, leaning against the trunk. Rey was still in there somewhere, getting fussed over by her friends. Ben hadn't expected her to turn to Finn immediately after he healed her, but he admitted to himself that he hadn't really thought about what would happen before. He had been too focused on getting to that point. It made sense, of course, that she would want to join her friends' celebration. Still, Ben had been a little…hurt? Jealous? He tried to keep the feelings in check. The choices were hers to make, and after all, it had only been hours since she had woken.

Ben heard quiet footsteps, and his heart fluttered as he saw that their owner was Rey, making her way toward him. She sat down silently, leaning against the same tree. After everything, Ben had no idea what to say to her. So he remained quiet, hoping that she would break the silence.

After what felt like a long time, she spoke. "I'm so sorry." It wasn't quite what he had expected.

"I'm sorry too."

She was looking at his bandaged forearm. "They haven't fitted you with a prosthetic yet?"

"No," he said. "The skin has to heal first."

She glanced up into his eyes. "Let me fix it for you." Those honey hazel eyes…he almost wanted to let her, even if just to feel her touch again.

"No, Rey, we can't keep doing this. Trading life Force. Just…" Ben reached out and touched the spot on her rib cage. He could feel the scar through her shirt, the scar he had made. It matched his own, invisible, but still always there. "Just keep it for awhile. You need it."

She nodded, looking away from him, and sighed softly. "I'll let you heal on your own time."

He realized this was the first time they had really been together with no outside motives, no war to fight. It should be joyful, or, at least, not this somber. Maybe some humor was in order. "Hey," he said, "didn't I always say you would eventually give in and take my hand?"

Rey looked back at him then, biting her lip to suppress a stubborn smile. "You are a horrible man."

Ben chuckled, half failing at his attempts at restraint, and her smile finally broke through. Rey held out her hand and he placed his much larger one in it. She held on tightly, although her gaze was far away. He savored the warm, alive feeling of her hand in his.

"So," she said finally, her voice teasing, "are we going to talk about how a certain someone claims to have fallen in love with a scrappy scavenger?"

Ben groaned, throwing his head back against the trunk to look up at the sky filtering between leaves and branches. "You heard that? I sort of hoped you would have forgotten or something."

Rey let go of his hand, taking hers back to press her fingers together in her lap. She stared into the dirt of the forest floor. "I was not often fully in control," she confessed, "but I was still…copilot. Not everything came from the Sith, Ben, some of that was…some of that was me."

Ben suddenly thought back to her tears as he held her through their Force bond, and the way his mother's lightsaber had ended up at his belt on Exegol. "I know," he said.

She must have sensed his thoughts because she added, "not always the good things."

"I know," he said, more firmly this time. "I _know_."

Rey leaned back against the tree trunk. "I guess you would."

Ben could feel that she was hurting. "You forgave me on Kef Bir, didn't you?" It wasn't quite the truth. Forgiveness…he hadn't earned it. But he had felt Rey's acceptance, along with his mother's.

"Yes."

"Then you can find the strength to forgive yourself. Even now, you are the brightest star in the galaxy…especially compared to me."

Rey looked away, blinking. "I never knew whether I could trust what you were telling me. Whether it was real or just a ploy to get me to the Dark side."

"Even if that had been true," said Ben, "it seems it's backfired fantastically."

"But I still…"

"It's okay," he said softly. "We're here now. _You're_ here now. I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you want me to." Ben had moved closer to Rey, and reached for her, cupping her face in his hand. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm. "Please," he whispered.

She nodded, and he shut his eyes, tilting her face up to press her forehead against his own. Focusing on his inhale and exhale, he pulled down the thinning walls he had spent so long erecting around his feelings. He nudged those about Rey to the front and center. That was what he wanted to give her, but she could have anything. _Have a look for yourself, if you want. _

Ben's hand shook against Rey's cheek, and she reached up and steadied it with her own. She tentatively accepted his invitation and he felt her delicately probe the thoughts he had put forward. She was hesitant to go deeper than surface level, images and sounds of the memories he presented. And then she stumbled into one that he hadn't realized his mind had filed under "Rey," one of the Empress in his chamber late at night. He stifled a groan but he didn't push her out. _Anything._ Rey almost drew away from him, but then he could hear the snippets of his old thoughts echoing through her mind. _Not Rey. Not what I loved about Rey. Her perfect balance of gentleness and strength. Rey didn't choose this. Not the old Rey. I only want her back. Rey. Rey. _

Ben felt hot, wet tears run over his hand and pulled back and opened his eyes as Rey retreated from his mind.

"I'm sorry for that last—thank you for letting me show—" He felt a lump forming in his throat and then they were both shedding heavy, cathartic tears.

"You missed me," she whispered, and beneath her flooding eyes, she was smiling.

"I don't want to ever again."

Rey wiped her eyes on the final strip of her arm wrapping, pulled up over her palm. _Then you won't_.

Ben could hardly believe what he had felt her say. Had that thought really been her, or just his own hopeful mind? "I'm sorry for not stopping you sooner. I know you didn't really want…"

"I didn't want it to be like that. Not with me only half present. Not with _her_."

"Then—then we'll do it better," Ben said softly.

She was looking at him so intently. "You mean it?"

"Yeah."

She moved toward him just as he reached for her, and he pulled her so close, arms around her waist and supporting her back, crushing her to his chest as gently as he could, mindful of her injuries. Her fingers worked their way into his hair, pulling him to her, and she looked into his eyes as if she couldn't quite believe he was real. Then she kissed him, and her lips were soft and confident, and this, this was Rey. Strong and gentle. He could feel warm joy glowing from her and could only hope she felt his own. She pulled away from him and he smiled, closing his eyes and taking a moment to fall back into himself, to just exist in her arms and her light.

"Thank you, Ben." The corners of her mouth tilted upward as she said it, then she pressed her velvet lips to his cheek.

Any words Ben could think to say ran into each other and caught in his throat, so he just caught her up and kissed her again.

Then Rey stood up, and Ben started to protest. "We've got all the time in the galaxy," she said, and offered him her hand. "Let's get back to the festivities. They're celebrating because of you, you know. And I want you to meet my friends. Properly this time."

Ben let her pull him to his feet. "Yeah," he said. "Okay."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So, this is it. Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with this little fic. I've so appreciated all your support for Binary Sunrise.

But wait! We're not done yet!

I've already started writing a sequel. I won't be publishing it for a few weeks probably because I have to finish the novella I'm writing first (I've got fifteen pages and a lot of editing to go, aaaaaaa) but once I have a big enough backlog of chapters, I will put the story up and post a teaser on Binary Sunrise.

Until next time,

—E


	15. Sequel Teaser

_Excerpt from _**_Across the Stars: _****_Chapter Two_**

* * *

Ben got to his feet and ignited his saber as Rey backed off a few paces and lit up her own. They circled each other, and Ben flipped his lightsaber with a lazy flick of his wrist, warming up his joints. He swung a slow, predictable blow and Rey deflected it easily, then jabbed at his legs. He leapt out of the way. Rey was waiting where he landed. Their blades clashed through the forest, with no real desire to meet their targets.

Rey moved toward him, and Ben took up a defensive stance, both hands holding his saber close enough to his body. Rey's swing was wide and Ben's blade followed her feign as she dodged the way she had come, deactivating her lightsaber. She ducked and popped up inside the circle of Ben's arms as he was regaining his footing, grasping the hilt of his blade. In his surprise, he let her have it. Then somehow he was on the forest floor and Rey was straddling his chest, her saber crossed with his own over his throat.

"I yield." He could feel her breath on his face.

"Good fight," she said, deactivating both blades and clipping Ben's back on his belt for him.

"You were already warmed up," he grumbled.

"Someone's a sore loser," Rey responded, planting a quick kiss on his forehead.

"That's it." Ben wrapped an arm around her waist and flipped himself over, pinning her under him. She struggled half-heartedly.

"You can't make up for _lack of skill_ with sheer size, Ben," she teased.

"Watch me," he growled, pressing her shoulder to the ground as she squirmed. He liked this side of her he was just getting to know, confident and teasing. Somehow, it was her insults that betrayed her feelings.

Rey gave up her struggle and placed her arms around her neck, pulling his head toward her. Oh yes, this was what Ben had wanted to do since he started doodling her in the dirt.

"Some days, I can't believe that you're real," he whispered, his voice husky.

"Well you'd better believe it," Rey shot back, "otherwise thin air just kicked your ass."

Ben stopped and made a face at her. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me already." Ben didn't need to be told twice. His lips found hers instantly. Rey's arms snaked around him, pulling him down to her.

Ben pulled away to kiss the place where her jaw met her neck. Her skin was salty from sweat worked up while they sparred.

"Mmm." Rey stretched her neck, exposing more of her tender throat to him. When Ben reached her collarbone, he pulled back, hovering over her.

"Ben? You alright?"

"Yeah," he said, smirking slightly at her. "I just think we should take this back to the Falcon."

"Right."

He stood up quickly, scooping her off the ground before she had a chance to get to her feet and planting a light kiss on her cheek as he carried her up the ramp.

Onboard the ship, the comm was blinking urgently.

"Auugh," Rey groaned, throwing her head back and going limp with frustration in Ben's arms. He struggled to keep her flexible body from slipping.

"We don't have to answer it."

"No," Rey sighed, swinging her legs out of Ben's grasp and jumping to the floor, "it's probably—it's definitely the Resistance. And when they need me they need me."

Ben bit back an _I_ _need you_ and followed her to the comm. Rey tapped it and a small holographic Rose appeared.

"Rey! Oh, thank goodness, I've been trying to reach you for a while now. Wait—are you okay? Your hair's a mess and you're covered in leaves."

"We just got in from sparring." Rey reached up to pluck some leaves from her hair and unbent her collar, flipping it over the side of her neck.

Poe elbowed his way into the projection. "Oh," he said, eyeing Ben, who had also collected his fair share of leaves, "is that what they're calling it these days?"

"Shut up, Poe." Rey frowned. "What's going on, Rose?"

"Right. About six hours ago…Someone put a massive bounty on both your heads."

"What?!" Ben roared. He could understand a bounty on himself. Frizz, he probably deserved it. But Rey?

"Hold up, I'm sending you the info," Rose said.

The holo projection flattened into a screen, displaying crude drawings of Ben and Rey. The images were labeled with "Wanted: Kylo Ren and his Dark consort, Sith Empress Palpatine. 18,000,000 credits."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So here's a snippet of what's to come. Go check out chapter one of Across the Stars! The rest of chapter two will also be up soon! I might have to update slightly less often than I did with Binary Sunrise because of finals and because I'm trying to write longer chapters, but I figured two weeks was more than long enough to make you wait.


End file.
